Water Just as Thick as Blood (Harry Potter)

Blocked

Harry and his sister had been waiting anxiously all day for the Weasleys to come. The atmosphere of the Dursleys was as tense as their muscles. Over the kitchen table, Cassandra leaned over to Harry. In a hushed whisper she murmured, "Do you think something happened?"

With furrowed brows, Harry replied softly, "I don't know, but I don't think so. Maybe Mr. Weasley had some complication with getting a ministry car."

Cass thought back to the Minister of Magic that they had met in the summer before their third year and made a face. He had a very odd fashion sense and she got the distinct impression that he was trying to emulate the look of a watermelon. She shook her head and shrugged. Whatever happened to the Weasleys, they better get here fast. Aunt Petunia's face was pulled so tight that Cass wanted to puke seeing her cheek bones so prominent. Uncle Vernon had the look of a kettle about to steam over. Truly, the husband and wife were a match of hideousness made for eachother in hell.

Harry and his sister both simultaneously put their heads between their crossed arms on the table. This was worrisome.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH," boomed in their ears, leaving a faint popping ringing sound.

Both of them flew into the living room. "W-what happened?"

Dudley was clutching his buttocks as if they were a lifeline. His mouth moved, but made no sound. Shooting a fearful but brief look at the twins, he waddled into the kitchen,

Loud banging and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys' boarded up fireplace, which had a fake electric fire plugged in front of it. The noises were getting progressively louder and pronounced.

Aunt Petunia was shaking, backed up against the wall, faintly whimpering. Over her whimpering, they could hear faint voices.

"Ouch. Fred, no-go back. GO BACK. There's some kind of mistake. Tell your brother-Ouch! George, no, no, go back quickly and tell Ron-"

"Maybe Harry can hear us and let us out, Dad-"

Vernon and Petunia Dursley circled around Harry and Cass like vultures around rotting meat.

"They've-they've tried to get here by floo powder," said Harry, fighting off a bout of maniacal laughter. "They can travel through fire, but you've blocked the fireplace so they're stuck."

Cass called out, "Mr. Weasley, can you hear me?"

The thumping stopped when someone interjected with a loud, "SHH"

"Mr. Weasley, it's Cassandra. The fireplace is blocked off, you can't get through this way!"

"Damn! Why in Merlin's name would someone want to block off a fireplace?"

"It's an electric fire," Harry explained.

"Really? With a plug and all? I simply must see that-OUCH, Ron!"

Ron's voice came through, "What's happened? Are we supposed to be here?"

"Yes, this is exactly where we want to be, Ron. Exactly. Precisely," Fred spat out sarcastically.

"Stand back!"

Harry and Cass stilted backwards while Uncle Vernon surged forward. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF-"

BANG!

Debris and the electric fire flung across the room as the Weasley's were expelled out from the cramped space behind. Petunia stumbled backwards, hitting the edge of the coffee table and began to crumble. Her husband caught her before she hit the floor, gaping speechlessly at all of the brightly haired Weasley's.

"Ah, yes, that's much better!" Setting his gaze on the trembling woman and sturly man, he started towards them, holding out a hand. "You must be Harry and Cassandra's aunt and uncle!"

Vernon said nothing, dragging Petunia back. White dust had settled in their hair, making the appear as though they had aged thirty years. It made the lines from scowling on their faces fit in more, Cass though mischievously.

"Erm-sorry 'bout that. I can fix your fireplace before I disapparate, if you want." He turned to the twins. "Are you two packed?"

"Yeah, our trunks out upstairs."

As Fred and George went upstairs to retrieve the twin's trunks hoping to catch a glance of the fabled pig out of Cass and Harry's stories, Mr. Weasley chirped out cordial conversation, to which Uncle Vernon responded with unwarranted hostility.

"Off you go!" Fred was pushed forward into the fire, as colorful candies spilled out of his pocket. He pretended not to notice.

When it was Harry's turn he turned to his Aunt and Uncle and shrugged. Offering a measly wave, he said, "Well, bye then, I guess."

He received no reply, which was to be expected from the negligent relatives that, most of the time, refused to acknowledge him as blood. Though, he did get compensation for that...as he left, Dudley shoved the candies into his mouth and his tongue unfurled out like a bloated version of a frog's.

His vision began to spin as he smiled.